Ocean Township wunderkind chef debuts upscale Bistro Rylo

OCEAN TOWNSHIP – Innovative restaurateurs are breathing new life into the Jersey Shore dining scene, now a wunderkind is joining the pack.

Ryan Lory, 25, is making a bold debut as an executive chef at his new upscale restaurant on Rt. 35, Bistro Rylo.

“My vision is to bring a Manhattan-style dining experience, complete with whimsical and palatable flavors, to foodies looking to experience gourmet cuisine in a warm and inviting setting,” Lory said. “Bistroy Rylo will be a unique addition to the region’s culinary landscape.”

Lory, an Ocean Township resident, serves his customers more than sumptuous Euro-Mediterranean-influenced dishes prepared with precision. He serves them an experience.

“There’s nothing really higher quality than this in the area,” Lory said. “A lot of people like to go to Rumson and Red Bank for good food. Why not come here?”

While upscale dining has found its way to Long Branch and Red Bank, Ocean Township has lacked a dining experience like Rylo.

The Rte. 35 corridor is home to many of the cookie-cutter strip mall and little-box restaurants that dot suburban communities and shopping mall parking lots across the country.

When the restaurant opens to the public Friday evening, diners will be treated to a nicely balanced menu full of upscale dining mainstays like filet mignon and foie gras, creative new takes like short rib ravioli and a salt-roasted beet salad, and some simple comfort food like burgers and lamb belly. Entrees are priced from $14 to $40.

Lory’s menu focuses on local, seasonal ingredients, and will change over time. The restaurant will also offer tasting menus on an ongoing basis.

Lory has a culinary degree from the Art Institute of Southern California.

Lory is joined in his kitchen by executive sous chef Sam Byrne, 30, but the youth movement stops there.

The front of house is staffed by a cadre of experienced, friendly servers with an impressive a wealth of wrote knowledge on the dishes, all under the watchful eye of Ron Mussenden, 73.

“You are not here to eat, you are here to dine,” Mussenden said. “We want you to relax and stay a while, enjoy yourselves, have a conversation.”

Mussenden and Lory deliberately spent time looking for a wait staff that shared their enthusiasm for and fluency with food.

“I went through over 200 resumes,” Mussenden said. “It was hard to find the right people here.”

Mussenden is a veteran of the New York restaurant scene who spent decades owning and managing Manhattan eateries before coming to Monmouth County. He knew he wanted to work with Lory.

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“I knew his food was out of the world,” Mussenden said. “I said 'I’ll take care of the front of the house.'”

The interior of the restaurant is lined with dark wood paneling, and a tin ceiling, painted brown, is accentuated by soft lighting. The room was sparsely decorated with wine bottles, candles, a modern, minimalist take on Mediterranean dining.

If you go, RyLo does not yet have a liquor license. Diners are encouraged to BYOB.